For the benefit of several readers
by MrsMacGuffin
Summary: The Rift connects many worlds and Arisen Surdana finds out some worlds are more connected than others.
1. Desperately Seeking Salvation

For the benefit of several readers – My Pawns' Story

1

Desperately Seeking Salvation

Mala-Shae eagerly awaited her arisen, Surdana. Clouds of mist formed over the black bubbling pools of poison near the Greatwall. In the distance she could see large Hobgoblins giggling insanely as the poison affected their senses. She stretched out her hands and checked her quiver for arrows. Surdana was in the rift looking for pawns and Mala-Shae was bored. A short walk away direwolves hunted in the leafless forest of Barta Crags. Maybe she would bag a few before her Arisen returned. The ancient writing on the rift stone glowed a deep blue and out of it came Surdana and a male pawn. There was something about him that struck Mala-Shae straight away. He was a strider, good-looking but then most of the male pawns were, and had a quiet unassuming confidence that reminded Mala-Shae of her Arisen.

"Salvation have taken the Great wall." Surdana told them. "They've taken prisoners and are going to kill them if we don't do something.

"Finally! Action!" Mala-Shae grinned and elbowed the male pawn.

"We'll show them!"

"We shouldn't just rush in. The chances are they are expecting you arisen and will have set traps."

"Urgh!" Mala-Shae said impatiently. "Just how will being cautious circumvent these traps?"

"We should go in first." The male pawn answered.

"Well that's...not a bad idea actually!" Mala-Shae said cheerfully.

"We'll go in together." Surdana said. "I know they'll have prepared a welcome committee."

Mala-Shae and Trystan put arrows to their bows in preparation. Surdana drew her daggers. They passed through the main gate to the stronghold. Ahead were two Salvation. Mala-Shae loosed an arrow in their direction and they ran through the further gate.

"Let's get..."

"Wait!" Trystan shouted. Seconds later two huge armoured Cyclops entered the courtyard. Their one eye shining red against the sun. They roared, foaming at the mouth such was their fury.

But that wasn't all. Soon they heard the sweet calling of Snowharpies, their song lulling the unwary to sleep.

"OK. First the Snow harpies, then you can play with the Cyclopses." Surdana told them Mala-Shae grinned.

"Now here comes the fun part!" Mala-Shae started firing at the snowharpies. Trystan used his downpour volley to strike them from above. A cyclops roared and smashed it's club to the ground and headed straight for them.

"Urrgh!" Trystan grunted as he dodged the Cyclops club. He brought his bow to bare and shot it in the eye. But the arrow clanged of his helmet. Then he heard a screech. Not even looking he rolled sideways and in one smooth movement got to his feet. He loosed a well aimed arrow and the harpy fell to the ground. He turned.

"Watch out!" He cried. Mala-Shae was shooting down more harpies, a veritable cloud of them had formed around her. But she had missed the cyclops who was raising his club.

A quick five fold flurry and the giant dropped his club. Mala finished off the last of the snow harpies. Then Trystan saw Surdana who was steadily climbing the back of the cyclops. The dagger flashed in her hand. Then she was hacking away at the back of the cyclops head.

"Watch it!" Mala called, Trystan didn't need to look around. As he fell into a forward roll Mala aimed an arrow. The Revenant Wail sung in her hand. The arrow hit the approaching cyclops dead in the eye. This time the helmet broke. Trystan joined Mala-Shae's side and whilst he prepared a devastating downpour volley, Mala-Shae shot ten arrows straight into the cyclops' eye. The ground shook as it fell. They turned their attention to Surdana. Her cyclops was also falling. She rode it to the ground and jumped off it.

"Well that was fun. Let's see what else they have for us shall we?"

Mala-Shae clapped Trystan on the back. "Not bad. For a strider."

"Not bad..." He sounded insulted.

"Yeah. I mean downpour volley is alright, but it's no match for the tenfold flurry!"

"Oh is that so? We'll see." He marched off ahead.

"I thought you liked striders?" Surdana asked her quietly.

"Oh! I was only teasing!" Mala-Shae complained. Surdana smiled at her pawn. Mala-Shae was becoming more and more human. In fact the more human she became, the more she reminded Surdana of someone.

A guard ran to meet them in the next courtyard.

"There are prisoners trapped below! Please you must help them!"

"We'll do what we can!" Surdana assured him. They approached the main castle building. Ahead was a corridor that lead to a small barred door. To their left they heard the familiar groaning sounds of the undead. They were about to investigate further but Skeletons suddenly rose from the floor. One swung a sword and knocked Mala-Shae off her feet. A Skeleton warrior hefted a huge sword aiming for her head. Then behind it Trystan vaulted into the air and brought his daggers down on the Skeleton's head. It shattered. Mala-Shae grinned and jumped to her feet. Trystan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Drawing her daggers Mala-Shae scythed through the remaking Skeletons.

They heard a cry. Mala-Shae was suddenly filled with panic.

"Arisen!". They were in time to see Surdana fall from a tall spire of ice.

"I hate sorcerers." Mala-Shae grumbled reading her bow. Trystan did the same.

"Shall I tell Evelyn?" Trystan asked and shot a member of Salvation through the head. Mala-Shae narrowed her eyes and shot another Salvation in his rear end.

"I hate sorcerer's who aren't on our side." She fired, skewering two with one arrow.

"Evelyn is my friend! So don't you dare!" Trystan grinned this time and fired another arrow, he'd aimed it at the backside of another Salvation not wanting to be outdone by Mala-Shae. Unfortunately for the Salvation, he turned around.

"Owwww." Mala and Trystan said together.

"If you two have quite finished?" Surdana said impatiently. "We have a wall to blow up."

"My Arisen problem is that she's no fun."

"I saw an explosive barrel outside Arisen, I'll fetch it."

As Trystan left, Surdana narrowed her eyes at Mala-Shae.

"You see? He's helpful."

Mala-Shae pulled a face and went over to the barred door. She fired arrows into the room. The undead waiting for them fell.

"That's helpful. Now we don't have to deal with them after Trystan makes a mess of the wall."

Trystan threw the barrel at the wall which crumbled. They entered the room. Screaming was coming from below. Running down the stairs they skidded to a halt at the scene that met their eyes. Whatever the chamber had been used for wasn't wholesome. There were ropes hanging from frames and stocks. Gran Soren men had been disarmed and were being attacked by the undead. Mala-Shae and Trystan quickly scythed through them. The cowering guards approached Surdana thanking her for her help before running as fast as they could to get away.

"Thanks for the help guys!" Mala-Shae said sarcastically. "Next time, don't even bother!"

"You can't blame them, this is much more than they've ever faced." Surdana said.

Quickly they made their way back up the stairs to where another guard met them.

"There's a back way! I'll open it up for you!" He sprinted ahead, Surdana, Mala-Shae and Trystan ran to keep up. The Greatwall had many passageways and rooms. Passing through these they came to a larger chamber stacked with many crates. This however was not it's defining feature. A large chimera was jumping at the iron gate that lead from the room. The guard behind it was more than glad to keep it between him and the chimera. Surdana tried to creep up on it and take it by surprise. But whether it smelled them or heard them it turned and charged, leaving smashed crates in it's wake. Mala-Shae and Trystan rolled in opposite direction in a hope of distracting it. But it seemed only interested in Surdana who dodged out of the way only just in time. Mala-Shae fired a tenfold flurry at the snakes head. Trystan came up behind it and vaulted onto it's back. He hacked away at the snake. Mala-Shae fired another tenfold flurry.

"The Snake's head is done!" She shouted and turned her attention to the goats head.

The goats head was trying to heal. Trystan crawled up it's back and started hacking away with his daggers. Mala-Shae jumped up to join him. Surdana fired a five fold flurry at the Lions head.

Mala-Shae and Trystans hacked away at the goats head. It gave a pitiful bleat before lolling from side to side, tongue hanging out and blood oozing everywhere.

"And that's the Goat!" Trystan said. Then they were both thrown off as the lion, now in sole charge of the body, went wild. It jumped about flailed madly. It would stop just long enough to roar.

"Rrgh!" Mala-Shae growled and readied an arrow. She fired it at the lion which turned and charged at her. Before it charged her, Trystan fired a hailstorm of arrows at the lions head. It staggered. Mala-Shae readied a ten fold flurry and fired. The lion was still.

The guard behind the door gushed his praises. But only after Surdana prompted him did he open the door. They continued their journey upwards. There were more rooms and narrow corridors. The whole place seemed to be a rabbit warren. Mala-Shae strode head purposefully, while Surdana kept out her daggers and was more wary. Trystan also kept looking around. Mala-Shae walking through an opening, moments later they heard her shout. Trystan ran forwards and nocked an arrow. Ahead was a flight of stairs, at the top Skeleton warriors with large swords, and Skeleton sorcerers. To the side a Gran Soren guard was screaming, undead warriors surrounded him. Mala-Shae had been knocked over by a spell. Trystan fired arrows at the sorcerers. Surdana tackled the undead surrounding the guard. Mala-Shae got to her feet and sheared through the remaining sorcerers with her daggers.

When the last sorcerer fell, Mala-Shae grinned at Trystan.

"It was almost too easy!"

"You were laying down on the job!" He teased.

"Huh! Was not!" She folded her arms and turned away mocking taking offence.

Surdana dusted the shaken guard down.

"There's a back way! I'll open it for you!" The guard hurried to unlock!the door.

"Too late buster! We've already taken them out!" Mala-Shae said exasperated. Trystan laughed.

They took the back way, though as Mala-Shae pointed out more than once, the main stairs would have been quicker. Another room was ahead of them and they saw the guard. As they entered, there was a sound like rattling rocks.

"Skeleton Lord!" Mala-Shae shouted. It was a Skeleton, but in full armour, with a large shield. It held a sword menacingly, and charged them.

"Thanks for the spotters guide!" Surdana said as she rolled behind the Skeleton and took it out with her daggers.

"It...was for his benefit." Mala-Shae said quickly. It was Trystan's turn to take offence.

"Thank you!" He said sarcastically.

"This is it." Surdana said quietly and headed for the door. She hesitated before opening it. They were outside facing the main keep of the castle. Ahead of them and in front of the door was the Elysion and two of his servants. They jumped before him protectively.

"Oh. It squinty features." Mala-Shae said unimpressed. Surdana had walked ahead of the two pawns to face the Elysion.

"Squinty...?" Trystan queried. Mala-Shae folded her arms, her expression dark.

"I don't like him. He called pawns 'equivocal husks'."

"'equivocal'" Trystan said slowly. "So we're 'hazy' husks?" Mala-Shae frowned.

"'Ambiguous husks?" She tried.

"Unsure husks?"

"Cryptic husks?"

"Indecisive husks?"

"Well, when we're first created we might be." Mala-Shae frowned. "What did he mean?"

"You can ask him." Trystan nodded towards the Elysion who was monologging.

"Please sir! What did you mean sir?!" Mala-Shae whispered mockingly. Trystan snorted.

"That word, I don't think it means what you think it means!" Trystan retorted. Mala-Shae gasped.

"What?! Inconceivable!"

"Ok! Time to wrap it up you two! We have Wights!" Surdana was preparing arrows. Mala-Shae loosed a ten fold flurry at one Wight, which flew up to avoid them.

"And undead!" Trystan shouted the warning just in time. An undead warrior had lifted it's hammer and was about to bring it down on Surdana head. She rolled out of the way. Trystan shot it between the eyes. Mala-Shae was rapidly becoming exhausted. She was shooting arrows at the Wights who kept drifting out of her line of fire.

"The undead first!" Surdana shouted. "They have to come to the ground to resurrect them!" Mala-Shae nodded and drawing her daggers quickly scythed through the undead. One Wight drifted closer to the ground. The other Wight was casting.

"Oh no! Not that spell! Anything but that spell!" Surdana sounded panicked. She had changed targets and was shooting the Wight who was further away.

"Uh oh! I know that one!" Mala-Shae looked at Trystan.

"Maelstrom!" They said together.

"Go after that one! I'll deal with this one!" Trystan said. Mala-Shae nodded and ran towards Surdana. Trystan finished off the first Wight with a well placed skull splitter.

Surdana and Mala-Shae were firing at the Wight. They had managed to interrupt it's spell. They kept firing until it too was defeated.

In the confusion the Elysion had slipped inside the main keep and was now speaking from the top of the castle.

"Does not shut up does he?!" Mala-Shae said looking up at him.

"He certainly seems to like the sound of his own voice." Trystan agreed.

"See how the very air dances around us?!" Elysion called from the top of the castle. "This is absolute truth! This is Salva..."

Behind the Elysion, the dragon came cutting through the sky like a swallow. In a way it was quite beautiful, the Dragon's scales glinted in the light, the Dragon's eyes were two pools of flame. It crushed the castle completely, the Elysion crushed beneath him.

Behind her Mala-Shae laughed.

"Well that shut him up!"

"The rantings of an up-jumped Zealot make for tedious listening." The Dragon's voice was a low rumble, like the sound of thunder.

"If you would see me, seek me out and I shall allow it. Until then I will hold your little keepsake safe. Your dragonforged will speak for my diligence in that." The dragon flapped once, the shockwave it made with it's wings caused the floor the shake. The two pawns and Arisen glanced at each other.

"Time to go!" Mala-Shae shouted as she ran. "Last one out is a pancake!"

Surdana ran as fast as she could, but the floor was crumbling beneath her. Soon she was falling, grasping at thin air. The ground was rising fast, tucking herself into a ball, she hit the ground and rolled out. Quickly she glanced around. Trystan was helping Mala-Shae up, as soon as she was up, she slapped away his hand. Surdana smiled briefly. Looking up, she saw the dragon flying high, and something glinting in the air. It tumbled and spun out of control, landing on the ground with a slight tinkling sound. Surdana moved forward as though hypnotised. She reached down and picked up the object. It was a ring. Mala-Shae and Trystan joined her.

"The dragon has taken Julien." Surdana said simply.

In the pawn guild in Gran Soren, raucous laughter could be heard. Barnaby shook his head disapprovingly but did nothing to stop it. Down the stairs, before the entrance to the Everfall, pawns gathered round tables. They had moved two so they made one long table around which they could all sit. Flasks of Curious wine, various herb ale selections, spring water, red and white wines had accumulated on the surface, along with a lot of festival pies.

"This is Salva..." Mala-Shae mimicked. "Splat!" She brought her hand down hard on the table. Several bottles wobbled precariously. A few of the pawns laughed.

A tall pawn with her bright red hair in pigtails asked.

"Excuse me, I may be being stupid but what does 'equivocal' mean?"

"We've been through that already Myschala." Trystan answered.

"Ambiguous."

"Indefinite."

"Non-comital."

"Vague."

"Inexact."

"What?" Myschala sounded confused.

"Precisely." Mala-Shae said.

"It can also mean 'of doubtful nature or character'." Apollo joined them, he had many scars, a testament to his many adventures. Yet despite this he remained handsome. It was a disappointment to the many female pawns he remained steadfastly loyal to his wife Éclair, around whose waist he had casually draped his arm.

"He was trying to imply we have no characters, no personality, no will of our own." Apollo continued.

"B'ah!" Lumen said. "Idiot!"

"A flat idiot, now." Mala-Shae added.

Trystan left them and wandered back up the stairs. He nodded to Barnaby as he passed and headed to the Gran Soren Union Inn. Asalam looked at him suspiciously but said nothing. Surdana was sitting by herself at a table, a mug of ale untouched. In her hands she had the Arisen's bond and was turning it over slowly.

"Arisen?" Trystan asked cautiously. Surdana smiled as she saw him.

"Not with your friends?" She asked.

"I thought I'd see how you are?" Trystan said. "Mala-Shae should be with you..."

"Mala-Shae is where she should be. Doing what she should be and proving the Elysion wrong." Surdana said.

"You mean 'squinty features'?" Trystan said with a smile.

"She reminds me so much of my sister Deryn. I wouldn't have her any other way."

Trystan looked at curiously.

"That's interesting."

"What?"

"My Arisen. Her name is Deryn."


	2. Fire and Ice, Chalk and Cheese

2

Fire and Ice, Chalk and Cheese

Before the Fire and before the pain there was an argument. Maybe it was the fate of most siblings to be in continuous dispute, yet Surdana felt she had more than her fair share. Deryn and Surdana were often described by the other inhabitants of Cassardis as chalk and cheese, as unlike as it was possible to get. Surdana was the elder, she was polite and responsible. She frequently volunteered to help anyone in the village with whatever tasks they needed assistance with and she obeyed her parents. Deryn was troublesome. She climbed rooftops and jumped out on people. She was always fighting with the boys of the village, she frequently stole apples from Heraldo's grocery and above all she wanted to leave the village.

"I want to see Gran Soren!" She exclaimed excitedly to her sister. "I want to see the Greatwall and Bluemoon tower!"

"You would die as soon as you step foot outside!" Surdana assured her. "It would be much better to stay here." Deryn would make a frustrated noise and stomp off, Surdana would shake her head sadly.

Matters did not improve between them when their parents died. Surdana took it on herself to look after her younger sister who was adamant she did not need looking after. Arguments between the two sisters became more frequent and sometimes lasted for days.

The sun rose above the sea, chasing the last shadows from Cassardis. There were already a good amount of people bustling about the small town. The fishermen had made their way onto the dock and were getting into their fishing boats to ply their trade. The two sisters were at each other's throats at the end of the pier. The fishermen shook their heads, they were used to this by now.

The argument ended with one sister leaving the other at the end of the pier.

The Maker threw a coin into the air.

There is an even chance that the coin will land either heads or tails. It is far more unlikely that the coin will defy the probabilities and land on it's side...but not impossible.

The dragon flew towards Cassardis and destroying the pier and leaving nothing but sticks of wood standing in the ocean. It then destroyed a few of the houses in Cassardis and waited for someone to dare to face it. Surdana saw the pier destroyed. Pain, loss and anger stabbed her heart. She grabbed the sword and ran towards the dragon.

On another world, it was nightime. It was always night on Bitterblack isle. Something about the strange island continually drew Deryn there. The atmosphere had a tangible quality, quite unlike Gransys. There was a malice in it, something sinister that seemed to watch as she progressed through the forgotten halls and dungeons. The smell too was unique, it didn't fade as smell usually does if you are around it for long enough, but was always constant. Bitterblack isle had it's own silence as well. It was heavy, like carrying around an enormous weight, until a soft growl or the moans and cries in the distance broke it. Sometimes you could hear the sounds of masonry falling and sinister sound before silence once again reigned supreme.

Bitterblack isle was a huge puzzle which Deryn felt compelled to slove. Since facing the dragon she had felt there had to be something more, as though the whole story hadn't yet been told. She had explored the everfall, searching from end to end, from floor to floor, looking for something that hadn't been there. Then one day a figure had appeared on the pier at Cassardis. Seeming sad, with a far away look in her eyes Orla had asked for her help. Deryn hadn't needed Trystan to tell her that he felt some manner of presence, or that there seemed to be an all pervading malice that seemed to grow they deeper they had gone into the isle.

The first time they had stepped onto Bitterblack isle, and Deryn prepared to hire pawns from the rift, Trystan had requested she hire a pawn called Mala-Shae. Curiosity took over. Trystan had never made requests before. Mala-Shae stepped out of the rift. She was about Deryn's height and had short dark blue hair. She was wearing the golden lion padding, which had been paired with the boots of Oblivion. She burst into a huge grin when she saw Trystan and punched him playfully on the arm.

"How are you doing slacker?!" Mala-Shae grinned. Trystan rolled his eyes, but smiled none-the-less. Deryn liked her immediately.

"Do you have any preferences for my second hire?" Deryn asked.

"A sorcerer Arisen."

"With Holy affinity." Mala-Shae chimed in.

"Hmm." Trystan agreed. "What she said." Deryn grinned. They were going to be trouble, Deryn sensed it. However they were right and she had always liked to include at least one magic user in the party, either a sorcerer or a mage would fit the bill. One sorcerer caught her eye, she had her arms folded and had an extremely serious expression on her face.

"Can I help you Arisen?" The sorcerer asked. She had a serious sounding voice too, there was a curious intensity in her eyes.

"Have you been to Bitterblack Isle?" Deryn asked her.

"I have Arisen." She didn't smile and she exuded air that whilst not unfriendly nevertheless gave an impression that this was someone not to be trifled with. Someone, in short, who would keep Mala-Shae and Trystan out of myschief.

She and the sorcerer stepped out of the rift. Mala-Shae looked at the sorcerer with a frown, Trystan however was more polite and held out his hand.

"I'm Trystan."

"Khossa." The sorcerer responded coolly taking his hand briefly.

"Well you're going to be a bunch of no fun aren't you?" Mala-Shae scoffed none to quietly. Trystan shot her a look and so they both missed the enigmatic smile that flashed onto Khossa's face. Deryn didn't and hid her face with her hand.

"Ok. Shall we get started?"

Deryn took a step toward the doors that would lead them into the depths of Bitterblack isle. The huge doors swung inward at her approach. In a pool of light just inside was a tall tombstone, Deryn peered at it closely, trying to decipher it but couldn't. It was as though parts of the stone had fallen away.

She took out her lantern. In the next area part of the roof had fallen away and was open to the night. Clouds could be seen covering the stars. A howl reached her ears. It sounded like a wolf, she looked around and at first could see nothing.

"Wargs!" Mala-Shae shouted and started to fire arrows. Wargs poured over the statue at the far end and ran straight for them. Trystan took out his daggers and started to slash his way through them. Khossa kept back and enchanted their weapons, and suddenly they seemed to be doing more damage.

"Arrhg!" Khossa cried out as a Warg jumped up and bit her. Mala-Shae turned and fired an arrow in it's direction. The Warg fell away and Khossa got to her feet. The rest of the Wargs were dead.

"Where were you?!" Mala-Shae said with barely disguised contempt. Khossa said nothing.

"Mala..." Trystan said placatingly.

"We are going to have enough trouble watching our own backs without watching her's as well!" Mala-Shae said and stomped off. Trystan looked between the two and followed Mala-Shae. A dark look came onto Khossa's face.

The Garden of Ignominy did not improve Mala-Shae's opinion of Khossa. After enchanting their weapons, Khossa had started to cast Bolide when Death had appeared without warning. Khossa had time to shout a warning to Trystan and Mala-Shae who turned around to face their new enemy. Meanwhile Death glided closer to Khossa, his lantern bathing her in a blue light. Khossa immediately fell asleep. Fortunately the three archers were able to drive Death away. But when Deryn had revived Khossa, Mala-Shae shot her a filthy look. Trystan looked at her apologetically. In his opinion, Khossa's warning had been well timed. She had just been unlucky that Death chose to materialise right by her.

Deryn paused before the next set of doors, wondering just what was going to attack them next. They entered a wide open area. The moon shone above bathing the area in moonlight.

"Duskmoon tower." Mala-Shae informed her. It was suspiciously empty. So far every new area they had entered had monsters in it that wanted to kill them all. The absence of an open attack put Deryn on edge. They started cautiously towards the stairs. Deryn heard the sound of a blade unsheathing behind her. She turned in surprise, reaching for her daggers. The man behind her looked her up and down appraisingly.

"Three days this one. A week perhaps?" He seemed to speak to himself, or at least not to care if she was listening. He turned away from her then glanced back.

"A favoured game of mine, guessing the lifespan of those who enter these halls. Nothing personal mind. And rest easy friend: Three score guesses in and I've yet to hit the mark once."

"And how will you be able to guess with an arrow through your head?" Trystan growled. Barroch turned, for once the uncaring apathetic expression fell from his face as he looked in some surprise at the pawn who had crept up behind him. Deryn smiled slightly but said nothing. Barroch studied Trystan carefully but looked back to Deryn.

"So loyal. There are those among their number who don't think so much of Arisens." He looked her up and down again. "Maybe you'll be introduced..." he smiled in a sinister way. "Or maybe you won't!"

"Or maybe we won't take advice from a man in a womans cape!" Mala-Shae retorted. Deryn laughed. Barroch seemed to not pay her any attention.

"Apparently someone is looking for you." Deryn said narrowing her eyes in her mind wondering why anyone would want to find this man.

"Someone's looking for me? Then this pit is home to stranger folk than ever I've imagined." Barroch said. "An honest mistake most like. I've been down here half an age, and not once have I known anyone to come calling." Deryn continued to speak to Barroch whilst Trystan watched them both hawkishly. He didn't notice Khossa who came and stood beside him.

"Nice move." Khossa sounded impressed.

"No-one threatens my Arisen." Trystan glowered.

"He isn't threatening her now." Khossa pointed out.

"I don't trust him."

"Trystan, give me your bow and daggers." Deryn asked. Trystan handed them over. And to his surprise Deryn gave them to Barroch.

"It's alright." Mala-Shae had got bored and was now balancing on the handrail. She dropped into a crouch and faced him. "He can upgrade weapons. Make them stronger. My Arisen likes him."

"Likes him?" Trystan sounded surprised. "But why..."

"My Arisen may like him. But I still think that cape looks silly on a man." She paused. "Actually I think the thing looks damn silly." She pulled a face. "My arisen made wear it once."

"Only once though." Trystan smiled.

"She won't make that mistake again!"

Deryn handed Trystan back his weapons. He looked them over with a degree of suspicion. He tested the strength. Not only were they stronger, they were also lighter.

The Duskmoon tower was less a tower and more of a courtyard. There were many doors that seemed to lead from it. Investigating these Deryn found eight ornate stone doors that Mala-Shae told her she would need moonbeam gems to open. A couple of the other doors lead to chests that contained useful items. The largest door was barred shut.

"You need a void key to open that." Mala-Shae said.

"Where do I find the void key?" Deryn asked, Mala-Shae pointed to another set of doors that also lead from Duskmoon tower. She looked up briefly, the moon shone clearly illuminating the trees below in a white light and stars twinkled innocently overhead. It was beautiful. Deryn felt that there was something melancholy about Bitterblack isle. Orla's sad story, the voices of past Arisens as they lay dying all added to the atmosphere of sadness. But it was not the sadness or grief of missing a loved one but something like frustration. As though you had come to the end of a long road and there was nowhere else to go.

"The Ward if Regret." Deryn read from her map. Ahead was a short corridor that ended abruptly in a drop. Alongside there seemed to be a row of cells. In the first there was a broken riftstone which Deryn hastily repaired. A long, drawn out groan came from the corridor outside. The four companions looked at each other. Mala-Shae and Deryn grinned at each other and jumped through the gap in the wall. Trystan and Khossa rolled their eyes. Khossa quickly enchanted their weapons with Holy light and followed them. In the corridor alongside the cells were giant undead. They were aptly named, being almost twice as tall as a normal man. Their flesh seemed rotten and was falling from their bodies as they sightlessly groped for victims. They were quickly dispatched and their flesh lay rotting on the floor.

More gruesome finds awaited them. Bodies hung from the ceiling, instruments of torture lined the walls still stained with blood. The smell of rotting flesh seemed to grow the deeper they went and there were monsters everywhere. No sooner had they dealt with giant undead, than they found a huge snake-like creature that lived in the chests. It popped out like a grotesque jack-in-the-box and tried to eat Mala-Shae. Luckily they managed to drive it away before it too killed them. They descended through a makeshift tunnel in a wall to find an army of skeletons waiting for them. Their leader, was a giant version and it took all four of them to take it down. Though Mala-Shae argued they she, Trystan and Deryn had done all the work whilst Khossa just made their blades glow.

Deryn sighed inwardly, knowing at some point she would have to deal with the growing animosity between Mala-Shae and Khossa, though at the moment she was at a loss to figure out how. Khossa said nothing out loud but occasionally she would catch the sorceress giving Mala-Shae a dark look. Trystan was also finding Mala-Shae's animosity puzzling, after all she said none of this about any of the other sorcerer pawns she had worked with.

Another large door lay before them. Deryn found herself hesitating before it. They had gone through a lot already to get here. She suspected that getting the void key would be no simple matter. Through the door stairs descended into darkness. Deryn crouched brushing the ground with her fingers. The floor was slick with blood. As one all four drew their weapons and slowly continued downwards.

"My beloved, I had hoped to end this life held in your strong arms. Farewell." A voice called to them eerily.

"Cheerful lot aren't they?" Khossa commented. Trystan nodded. At the bottom of the stair Mala-Shae found a sour ambrosial meat. She sighed.

"Sure I'll pick up a piece of meat just laying on the ground amongst some human remains. I don't see any problem there!" She commented sarcastically. Trystan smiled and shook his head.

"By the Maker!" Deryn had frozen. The pawns gathered around her and followed her shocked gaze. In front of them was a sort of arena. A large circular area with broken stairs and wooden walkways leading upwards. Immediately in front of them was a large spiked object. A very large spiked object.

"Is that a giant morning star?" Deryn asked.

"I think it's a club." Trystan said.

"What the hell uses..." Deryn asked then looked slowly upwards. Chained to the wall was the largest creature she had ever seen. A great cage with spikes was on it's head. It's arm and leg armour was similarly adorned with spikes.

"Gorecyclops!" Mala-Shae called.

"Can it move?" Deryn asked and cautiously moved forward. From above a fire ball exploded into the ground before her. Deryn looked up. Skeleton sorcerers! Not thinking twice she ran forward.

Trystan and Mala-Shae also ran forward. Mala-Shae losed a tenfold flurry right at the Gorecyclops eye. It shook and growled angrily, pulling at the chains, longing to be free and rip them to pieces. Trystan was already climbing up it back. Mala-Shae fired again. This time the cage the cyclops had on it's head shook. Trystan had reached the top of the cyclops and was already slashing away at the back of it's head. The creature shook and growled more angrily and wrenched itself free. It grabbed it's club and smashed it on the ground. Mala-Shae dodged out of the way just in time. Trystan, on top of the Gorecyclops head, was being swung around like a rag doll. He managed to get a firmer grip and started stabbing the Gorecyclops head. But he was tiring, he could feel his arms shaking where he was trying to hold on. Mala-Shae was firing arrow after arrow at the Gorecyclops, but most of her arrows seem to clang pointlessly off it's armour.

"Are we even hurting the damn thing?!" She shouted angrily. She gasped as she saw Trystan fall to the ground with a thump. The Gorecyclops turned and headed towards him.

"Oh no you don't!" Mala-Shae growled and fired as many arrows as she could at it's eye. It staggered. Sensing her chance she ran across the floor to Trystan.

"Get to your feet you useless lump!" She said angrily. Trystan got to his feet. The Cyclops had recovered. It turned to face them now, growling and stamping the floor. It brought up the massive club and smashed it onto the ground causing the whole room to shake. Furiously Mala-Shae and Trystan fired arrows in its direction but nothing seemed to slow it down. It bore down on them, raising the club in the air.

"It's been nice knowing you." Mala-Shae sighed. Suddenly spires of ice erupted from the other side of the room. They hit the Gorecyclops in the head making it stagger. The ice spires kept coming, they kept hitting the cyclops until it finally fell to the ground. Mala-Shae and Trystan looked at each other briefly and raced to the head of the cyclops where they started to hit it furiously with their daggers. Mala-Shae employed one hundred kisses whereas Trystan used skull splitter after skull splitter. As the Gorecyclops looked like it was about to get to its feet again it was suddenly raining meteors. The meteors hit the Gorecyclops grounding it. It didn't move again.

"Yes!" Mala-Shae punched the air. Then she looked at Khossa who had folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. Mala-Shae threw her arms around the sorceress.

"You were brilliant! If I'm ever rude to you again..."

"I'll know everything is back to normal." Khossa grinned. Mala-Shae smiled too.

"I'm glad you two have finally made it up." Deryn said. The pawns turned.

"Arisen! What happened?!" Trystan asked concerned. Deryns clothes were singed in several places, she deep gashes in shoulders as though something had grabbed her and blood oozed from her wounds. Deryn narrowed her eyes.

"Just a bunch of skeleton sorcerers and two gargoyles. Nothing I couldn't handle...by myself!"


End file.
